THE DABISTÁN, OR SCHOOL OF MANNERS. PARIS.――PRINTED BY M^{me} V^{e} DONDEY-DUPRÉ, PRINTER TO THE ORIENTAL TRANSLATION FUND OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, 46, rue Saint-Louis, au Marais. THE DABISTÁN, OR SCHOOL OF MANNERS, TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL PERSIAN, WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, BY DAVID SHEA, OF THE ORIENTAL DEPARTMENT IN THE HONORABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY’S COLLEGE; AND ANTHONY TROYER, MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETIES OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, OF CALCUTTA AND PARIS, AND OF THE ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF PARIS; EDITED, WITH A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, BY THE LATTER. VOLUME III. PARIS: PRINTED FOR THE ORIENTAL TRANSLATION FUND OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. SOLD BY BENJAMIN DUPRAT, BOOKSELLER TO THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE ROYALE, 7, RUE DU CLOITRE SAINT-BENOIT. AND ALLEN AND CO., LEADENHALL-STREET, LONDON. 1843. THE DABISTÁN, OR SCHOOL OF MANNERS. CHAPTER VII. OF THE RELIGION OF THE SA DIKÍAHS.[1] These sectaries are followers of _Musaylima_. The people of _Islam_, “the true faith,” qualify _Musaylima_ as “the Liar.”[2] These sectaries call themselves also _Rahmáníah_; as they gave to Musaylima the title of _Rihm_, “commiserator;” they assert, that the words: _Bismilla hírrehma nirrehím_, “in the name of the bountiful and merciful God,” relate to him, that is: a God is the merciful Musaylima. Muhammed Kulí, the man so named, contracted friendship with the author of this work in the year of the Hejira 1053 (A. D. 1643) at the holy sepulchre.[3] After some friendly intercourse, he said: “To a true believer, it is necessary to acknowledge Musaylima as the bringer of the true intelligence and a prophet; and if one does not so, his faith is not the true.” For a confirmation of this assertion, he adduced as evidence some verses of the Koran, and said: “Musaylima was in the divine mission a partner of the dignity of the prophetic asylum, Muhammed, in the same manner as Harun was with Moses.” He further maintained: “Two prophets are required as being witnesses, and evidence wants two persons, and if there be more, so much the better.” He then highly extolled his virtues and miracles, such as his calling the moon until she came down and before the eyes of his companions sat down on his lap;[4] as his going to dry trees, and praying so, that they all became green; as having, when a newborn child, given testimony of his prophetic gift, so that a class of noble persons professed their faith in his divine mission. That man besides said, that the Koran is Muhammed’s miracle, by which he bound the tongue of emulation to all the eloquent men of Arabia; and in like manner the Almighty God sent to Musaylima a book, which they call the first _Fárúk_, “separator;” this also became a binder of tongues to the eloquent; and no man, except Muhammed and Musaylima, is capable of understanding these two books, the reading of which affords salvation in this and in the other world; but to expound them is a great crime.